Hear about the future of space propulsion at Disrupt Berlin

If hardware is hard, rockets must be even harder. Natalya Bailey should know. She's the co-founder and CEO of Accion Systems, a startup spun out of MIT's Space Propulsion Laboratory that is developing a new type of propulsion for spacecraft. Today we're announcing she'll take the Disrupt Berlin stage along with Shasta Ventures founder and managing director Rob Coneybeer.

General admission tickets are available at early bird pricing, too, in case, you know, you want to attend the 2-day event and see this talk in person.

Bailey and her co-founder Louis Perna founded Accion System in 2014 in an attempt to commercialize the propulsion technology they developed at MIT. In 2015 they demonstrated it working for the first time in space. But this propulsion system isn't a rocket engine the size of a Tesla semi. The system Accion is building is the size of a quarter and designed for micro-satellites.

The company is now several years old and raised a total of $12.5m with Coneybeer's Shasta Ventures leading Accion System's Series A in May 2016. We're excited to have the pair. Together they represent an interesting cross-section of practical science meets startups and we'll be sure to inquire on advice other entrepreneurs can use to build companies and products for outer space.

Throughout Disrupt Berlin attendees will hear about the latest technology and how it can make an impact on businesses. The show is jam-packed, and just like every Disrupt, the focus is on startups and the bleeding edge of technology. Fifteen startups are launching in Startup Battlefield and hundreds of young companies are exhibiting in Startup Alley. And though spots are limited, every Disrupt attendee can participate CrunchMatch, a free program that connects founders and investors based on their specific criteria, goals and interests.

General admission tickets are still available. We hope to see you at the show. This is the second Disrupt we've held in Berlin and we're excited to be back. The area's startup scene is bursting with new startups and investors. We couldn't stay away any longer.